Sitting on a train approaching Manchester, England, recently, my friend Arron and I leafed through a copy of MetroNews — Britain’s biggest free paper — and came across an article about recent violence in Jerusalem caused by the latest settlement controversy.

I began to read the article aloud, nonchalantly voicing the words “Israel” and “Palestinians” as they passed by in the sentence.

Here is the list of the countries whose delegates walked out when Ahmadinejad ascended to the UN podium (at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review conference) and started his usual anti-Israel, anti-US diatribe. Most interesting and hopeful, is that one delegate from an Arab-Islamic country -- Morocco -- walked out, as well. For all those who continue to link modern German and Poland to the crimes of yesterday, it should be noted that Germany and Poland also walked out on the Holocaust denier and threat to Israel.

Could Obama’s growing problems with the community translate into popularity
for our least-favorite Sarah? Despite a new website, most experts say no.

04/27/2010

Sharon Udasin

Staff Writer

If you believe the conventional wisdom about the 2008 presidential election, Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama was having a very tough time garnering Jewish support before Sen. John McCain picked a running mate. Polls in the Jewish community had Obama getting about 55 percent of the Jewish vote, as much as 20 percentage points lower than John Kerry or Al Gore, the two previous Democratic presidential candidates.

Standing on the bima behind a golden menorah, an emerald green leprechaun read from the megillah last Purim, a plush green top hat perched on his head and a red Irish-chasidish beard glued onto his flushed cheeks.

British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: the Jewish people will continue to thrive if we maintain our pride and develop a sense of optimism.

04/20/2010

Gary Rosenblatt

Editor and Publisher

Listening to British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks deliver a positive message of Jewish survival and triumph at Lincoln Square Synagogue on Shabbat, and observing the enthusiastic, attentive overflow crowds at each of his three presentations, helped strengthen the impression for me that he has emerged as the leading voice of Modern Orthodoxy and religious Zionism in the world.

Something Vicious: This is the ultimate extention of British Mandate-Obama Mandate logic. The UK has banned an ad for Israeli tourism because it shows the Western Wall. The Kotel, of course, was always part of Israel. Where else would the Temple have been built?

Last week, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research revealed nearly 80 documents showing that Otto Frank, the father of the world’s most famous diarist, Anne Frank, attempted in 1941 to emigrate his entire family from Holland to America.

It's been ten years but historian Deborah Lipstadt still relishes her victory in the libel suit brought by Holocaust denier David Irving in London.

Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta, recalled her harrowing court experience at a Yom Hashoa commemoration Saturday at Young Israel of Hillcrest in Queens. President Kevin Leifer said more than 400 people packed the sanctuary for the event, which was sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Rory Lancman.

What are the biggest mistakes in Jewish history? We asked Rabbi Charlie Buckholtz, senior editor at the Shalom Hartman Institute and author, to describe regrettable moments in Jewish history where a do-over might have been helpful. Part 1 of our Regrettable Moments series ran a few weeks ago and we received great feedback. Here is Part 2. What do you think? Any regrets on our regrets? E-mail us at connect@jinsider.com.